Luminous Beings Are We
by StellaHunterOfArtemis
Summary: When they went to watch the first one, they went to have an enjoyable evening with friends that had become family. They didn't know that it would shape their lives and thoughts, inspire and guide them through every fore they watched it, Star Wars was just a movie to Lily and the Marauders. After, it was so much more. (Star Wars, and its presence in the era before Harry)
1. A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away

_My friend Kai (Kerryl on AO3, go check her out!) and I, in one of our many conversations (incidentally on 4th of May), broke our hearts by her mention of a tumblr post which said that James and Lily never got to see the last instalment of the Original Trilogy of Star Wars. Then my mind went into overdrive, we bounced ideas off each other, and it snowballed into the five chapter story you're reading now. We spent way too long writing this, and hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

The calm that prevailed in the Gryffindor common room was shattered as a red-headed hurricane descended upon the students enjoying their last weekend in Hogwarts before their Christmas holidays. People raised their eyebrows when they noticed who it was, before shrugging and returning to their previous activities as their esteemed Head Girl squealed and jumped around like a little girl.

"Guess what!" Lily half-shouted, waving her hands as she ran to where her boyfriend and friends were sitting. She greeted James with a quick kiss before twirling to face them, Peter looking terrified of her sudden change in demeanor.

"There's a Muggle thing called the cinema, and –" she excitedly began, when Sirius interrupted her, his normally bored features twisted into glee.

"The cinema is brilliant! Movies are fantastic and Muggles do a smashing job with this technology thing!" he said, ignoring the death glare Lily directed toward him.

"Yeah, we've all been to the cinema," James said, smiling fondly at his girlfriend. "Remus told us what it was and we sneaked in to watch The Godfather."

Lily paused, staring at the four boys in front of her with disbelief. "That explains a lot, actually."

"If you can't stop them, join them," Remus shrugged, an amused expression on his face.

Lily shook her head, bringing herself back on track. "ANYWAY. So, there was this movie released in America in the summer, that was apparently excellent, and people everywhere are talking about it. It's about an adventure in space with gun battles and swords and spaceships."

All the boys leaned forward, eyes lighting up in interest.

"What's a spaceship though?" asked James.

"It's a transport that can travel in space," Remus explained, grinning wildly.

"Exactly," Lily said, nodding, "And it's getting released here just after Christmas. Do you fancy watching it?"

"Of course!' said Peter, bouncing in place. "That sounds wicked!"

"I agree," James said, exchanging excited looks with Sirius. "We're in."

"What's the name of the movie though?" Remus asked in interest. Lily beamed.

"Star Wars."

* * *

"That was _so good_ ," Sirius said in awe, eyes gleaming brightly as they exited the cinema. Remus and Peter nodded frantically, while Lily just grinned weakly, supporting a large portion of her boyfriend's weight, who appeared to be in shock.

"Obi Wan died, but Luke heard his voice!" James said faintly, as though having trouble believing it.

"I know, it was brill!" Peter said. He was the most enamoured with the Force, and the star struck look in his eyes indicated his excitement at the idea.

"I really loved Leia," Lily interjected, relieved when Sirius helped her boyfriend off her. "It was about time a woman was given a personality and something to do in movies."

"Darth Vader, though," Remus said, and everyone nodded solemnly.

"He was… imposing," Peter said slowly, shivering slightly when remembering the beginning of the movie and the conversation between the Imperial officers.

"Yeah, but so cool!" Sirius said, throwing James off himself and imitating a one-sided lightsaber battle. James swayed in his spot, still looking shell-shocked.

"He just _dies_ , though! Obi Wan was supposed to be a great Jedi, at least the way Leia says it, so how can he _die_ like that? Even if Darth Vader is this powerful and evil person? And what did he mean, 'if you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine'?" James burst out. Everyone stopped and stared at him as his arms flailed wildly.

"You know what, that's a good point," Remus said thoughtfully. "I wonder what he meant?"

"And why do you think Darth Vader is obsessed with Luke?" Lily said. "I mean, he killed Luke's father, why would he want to kill Luke so badly? Does he have something against the bloodline or -?"

"That was really messed up," Sirius said, distaste twisting his features. "Who could ever betray their friends like that? Or for that matter, a fellow student?"

The air suddenly felt colder and weighed more heavily upon the Hogwarts students as they contemplated the horror.

"Not a loyal person, that's for sure," Peter said quietly, frowning to himself.

After a moment, Remus broke the silence. "Well, this was a good movie, I have to say. I'm looking forward to the next one. When do you think it'll come out?"

"Movies take time to make, so it'll be a couple of years at least," Lily said, smiling in sympathy as all the boys groaned loudly.

"Well, I for one can't wait for the next one," Sirius said with finality. "I hope there's more Han Solo and Chewbacca, they were the coolest. I like them."

"You would," James snorted, earning a withering look from Sirius as Lily lit up.

"I know! And Harrison Ford is so handsome," she sighed, and James shot her a disgruntled look. "Mark Hamill too, obviously, but in a different way from Ford."

"Alright, that's enough swooning," Remus said, laughing at James' expression. Lily winked at him, laughing, as he stuck out his tongue at her. "Your boyfriend is insufferable enough and I don't need his jealousy right now."

Sirius seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he contemplated Han's role in the future movie when Lily suddenly said, "I wonder if anyone will end up together?"

"Ooh, I think Luke and Leia will be a couple," Peter stated confidently, and was met with three sets of raised eyebrows and one thoughtful expression. "What? Did you not see Luke's reaction when he first saw her? They're totally setting them up together."

"I don't know what you're on about, Pete," Sirius said in disgust. James, on the other hand, said, "Well…."

"Oh stop it James, didn't you see Leia and Han's chemistry?" Lily said, staring at James.

"Obviously, but I think they'll have some love triangle situation and there will be some drama, but it'll finally be Leia and Han," James said, and the others except Peter nodded slowly, absorbing the logic.

"To be honest, I think they'll all end up with other people," Remus said, and everyone scoffed. "I'd like them to have platonic relationships! Not every friendship has to end in romance."

"Honestly, I sort of agree with James," Lily said thoughtfully. "That would have everyone on the edge of their seats till the end. But I still stand by Leia and Han being together, with or without a love triangle."

"You're all mad," declared Sirius. "Luke and Leia are totally siblings!"

"What."

"You wait and see," Sirius said stubbornly while the others burst out laughing at the thought.

"Yeah, alright, mate," James said, chortling. The others joined in.

"I'm right, I know it!" Sirius said. "Leia and Luke are siblings and Han and Leia will end up together! You know what, you if you lot find it so unbelievable, let's bet on it."

"You're on," Remus said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Easy money for all of us."

"Each person gives five galleons to the winner," Sirius continued as his friends' laughter started dying down. All of hem voiced their agreements, and hands were shaken to seal it.

"May the Force be with you," Lily smiled, eyes twinkling at the reference. Everyone instantly became solemn, and repeated the phrase in unison, and as their voices faded, a new promise took their place, binding them together.

* * *

"IT'S HAPPENING," Sirius shouted as he burst into the Potters' modest home. James, who had been talking to Lily's swollen belly, stood up in panic. Lily herself barely glanced up from her book.

"What's happening, Sirius?" she asked, sounding bored. In a voice that barely contained his excitement, Sirius said, "There's a new movie coming out – and it's called The Empire Strikes Back."

"I'm waiting for your point."

Sirius huffed at Lily. "The point, dear mother of my godson, is that it is Star Wars."

"WHAT?" James and Lily said loudly, scaring the cat napping on the armchair.

"Is it really coming out?" James asked in elation.

"Yeah, it's out next week," Sirius declared proudly.

"Next _week_? Why didn't we find out earlier?" Lily asked indignantly as she stood up with mild difficulty. Sirius just shrugged in response as James jumped around the house, swinging an imaginary lightsaber in excitement.

"I can't wait to watch this movie!" he said loudly. "I love these characters and I want to see this now."

"Just a week more, James," Lily laughed, kissing his cheek as he stopped next to her, breathless.

"All I know is that I'm going to beat you all in the bet," Sirius said, munching on the bread Lily had laid out on the dinner table.

"Yeah, that's gonna happen," James scoffed, before jumping straight into discussing theories, as had become increasingly frequent as the longer the wait between the two movies grew.

"Apparently the first one got a new name and it's not the first one at all," said a new voice from the door, and the three occupants turned to the door to see Remus and Peter walk in.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked in confusion.

"Star Wars got renamed Episode IV – A New Hope," Remus said.

"Where did the first three episodes go then?" Sirius wanted to know as Peter joined the discussion.

"I don't know about that, but Empire Strikes Back is being called Episode V," he said, making himself comfortable on the couch.

"You know what I care most about?" James said as he poured his mates Firewhiskey and Lily Butterbeer while patting her belly. "Introducing this one to these movies."

"YES!" Sirius spoke loudly. "We need to introduce the next generation of Marauders to the right things in life!"

"Hear hear," agreed the rest, clinking their glasses together.

* * *

"That was….." Remus said in shock as they entered the Potter home. James, however, was loud in his horror.

"He's Luke's FATHER?" he asked loudly.

"Han is in carbonite, he's probably dead!" Sirius cried in dismay.

"OH FORGET HAN, DARTH VADER IS LUKE'S FATHER!" Peter shouted, making everyone jump and glare at him.

"We can't forget Han! He's my favorite and he might be _gone_ ," Sirius said, despair etched on his face. "That scene with Leia….. SHE SAID SHE LOVES HIM AND HE SAID 'I KNOW' AND IT WAS SO ROMANTIC AND HE MIGHT BE DEAD!"

Lily wordlessly handed him a tissue in which he blew his nose as James started ranting, looking stunned herself.

"Han being frozen in carbonite was bad enough, and then you tell me Darth Vader is Luke's father?! And then HIS OWN FATHER, who's so evil by the way, cut off his hand? What kind of father would do that?"

"Families are difficult James," Sirius said softly, looking at the ground. "Sometimes fathers are horrible."

"Sorry, mate –" James started, looking apologetic, but Sirius waved his hand and went back to being upset about Han's fate.

"Dear Merlin, _Darth Vader is Luke's father_ ," Remus said in wonder, still in shock at the twist.

"I know," Lily said soothingly, shock still present on her face, and everyone let out loud gasps. Sirius began his lament again.

"Lily Potter, how _dare_ you quote the _frozen Han Solo_ – UGH!"

"Too soon?" she asked sheepishly as they glared at her.

"Yes it bloody well is too soon!"

"Why aren't you more shocked?" James asked her accusingly. She raised her hands in defence, and said, "One of us has to keep the calm in here or this house will descend into panic. I _am_ shocked, but I'm just tring to have some semblance of order here."

"Do or do not, there is no try," Remus said with a faint smile. Lily winked at him and went to make some tea.

"I don't know what they're planning to do but Peter and Remus are more likely to win the bet right now," Lily said a moment later in an effort to rouse the traumatised group of boys in her living room.

The words had their intended effect as James and Sirius vehemently opposed her and started debating with Remus and Peter, who looked smug as the topic was brought up. She turned back to the tea, smiling as she heard the arguments going on behind her.

"Han and Leia kissed, I'm sure they're involved! _And they said they're in love with each other_!"

"Only she told him that, he didn't say it back! Luke had his hand around her, they're gonna be together!"

"We'll see who wins this bet!" Sirius' voice rose up over the cacophany. "Wait until Revenge of the Jedi comes out, and then we'll talk!"

* * *

When Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi was released, millions of people thronged to the cinema to watch the culmination of a story that began in 1977. They witnessed Han unfreeze, Leia kill her slaver, the heroes defeat the Empire and Luke save his father from himself.

When the last movie in a beloved trilogy was released, Peter was in hiding after betraying those he once called friends, an idea he had scoffed at a long time ago.

When the third movie is an infamous saga was released, Sirius was in Azkaban, abandoned by his friends, by choice or death, atoning for sins he didn't commit.

When the finale of a rare franchise was released, Remus was alone is a world that was too large in the absence of those he had loved, forced to survive where he once would have _lived_.

When favoured characters won their battles and emerged victorious, James and Lily lay side-by-side six feet under the ground, having suffered as jarring an end to their lives as the movie they had loved, doomed to never know or experience a joyful resolution to either.


	2. Never Tell Me The Odds

Sirius tosses back a cup of tea like a shot, slamming it down on the Potters' table (on a coaster, because Euphemia raised him with manners).

"He's just. Frozen! And in love with Leia! Vader just freezes him! In front of everyone! It's horrible, Moony!"

Sirius is bordering on hysterics at this point, Remus thinks. It's been two hours since the movie ended.

"You're missing an important point, mate," James cuts in, feeling that an essential part of Vader's identity is being ignored. "Vader is _Luke's father_." This pronouncement, in Sirius' eyes entirely unrelated to Han's predicament, is met with a glare.

"What does that have to do with Han?"

Sensing that Sirius' attention is more on the smuggler than the Sith, James charitably decides to humour him. "Well, Han is Luke's closest friend, isn't he? Vader just froze his son's best friend. That makes him even more evil." _Well done, James,_ he thinks, and mentally pats himself on the back for coming up with that connection even through the emotional upheaval he is experiencing due to The Revelation.

The Revelation has left them – and presumably the rest of the world – shaken. Lily, unexpectedly, is surprised but not stunned ( _"It makes sense in hindsight, "Vader" means "father" in German…"_ ) which leaves James with only Remus and Peter to relate to his shock. Sirius, clearly, had ditched the twist of The Revelation to focus on the emotion of Han's freezing.

Han Solo. From the moment he appeared onscreen in the first film, tipping back a drink and drawling through a negotiation, Sirius had found in him a kindred spirit. ( _"Yes Peter, I know he's fictional, that's beside the point!"_ ) The others had latched on to Luke and Leia, admiring their commitment to the rebellion.

 _It wasn't hard to see why, of course. Outside the theatre, Voldemort's forces were rising, and somewhere in a Hogsmeade pub, a small group gathered to fight back. Much whispered about, the Order of the Phoenix was the stuff of quiet legend in Hogwarts, a ragged version of the anti-Imperial Rebellion. By the time the sequel had arrived, the five friends had joined their rebellion, wielding wands instead of blasters, riding brooms instead of X-wings, but just as determined to bring down tyranny._

Sirius liked Luke and Leia too – and he strongly suspected there was some hidden familial connection between them – but something about Han had captured his attention.

The five friends are quiet, absorbed in their thoughts. Lily and Remus are sipping their quickly cooling tea, Peter is frowning at the table, and Sirius is tracing a finger along the edges of his coaster. James is tending to the kettle on the stove (more tea is needed to fortify those who witnessed the Revelation).

"He was a good person, Pete!" Sirius bursts out. Peter startles almost guiltily.

"What?"

"He took his reward and disappeared, but he came back! He _came back_ and they attacked the Death Star together and they won! He _stayed_ with the Rebellion, and, and he helped them, and when Luke was left outside on Hoth, he went out and rescued him!" Sirius slams his hands on the table and leans in towards Peter, who tilts backwards a little. "He was a _good person!_ " He reaches for his teacup to soothe himself but realises it's empty. He scowls at it. Prongs is taking too bloody long making the tea, he decides.

Lily leans forward to pat his hand. "Don't talk about Han in past tense," she says soothingly. "He'll be out of carbonite in the next film."

"You don't know that, Lily!"

"Alright then, mate, what _do_ you think will happen?" Lily sits back in the manner of a woman willing to be amused. James stifles a grin as he refills everyone's cups.

"It- well- alright, he'll have to live for the next one," Sirius concedes, looking back at the table so he doesn't have to see Lily's smug smile.

"For the love triangle," James supplies.

Naturally, this allows everyone to segue into a detailed discussion of the romantic possibilities to be explored in the next film. They emerge from the serious conversation that is rehashing the intricacies of their bet ("They lay down rules for their bets because they're not _anarchists_ ," Lily once told Professor McGonagall back in seventh year, and the boys later howled at the memory of the professor's reaction) some time later. Sirius, having advocated an unusual possibility and stuck with it, is feeling better about the next film and Han's fate.

When he's about to leave, Lily goes over to hug him.

"Han will be fine," she says quietly. "You'll see." He smiles into her hair.

"We can take this one to watch," he tells her, gesturing at her midriff as she steps back. Wouldn't that be lovely, he thinks. Taking his best friends' kid with them to the cinema to see a story they love.

She grins at him, her hand automatically going to the swell of her belly. "Yeah. Let's."

* * *

They never do.

* * *

This, he thinks, must be how Han felt in carbonite.

Was Han aware of his surroundings? Or more accurately, was he aware of being suspended in limbo? Did he know he was alone, that he could not move, nor communicate? Was he entangled in his own thoughts and dreams, with nothing to see, hear, touch, taste, or smell? Or was being in carbonite like being asleep, and waking up in surprise that so much has changed?

If it was the latter, maybe carbonite is better than Azkaban.

In Azkaban he knows the time is passing. He knows he has nothing to hold on to but cold grey mist, and the icy burning bars of his cell. Memories are a precious commodity here, to be guarded jealously and hoarded in the corners of the mind.

He tries to keep track of time but it's difficult. Until the day Cornelius Fudge visits the prison.

"Ah, Fudge," he drawls to the Minister when he stops by his cell. Sirius has arranged himself against the wall, close to the bars, and is casually examining his dirty fingernails.

"Black," the Minister says cautiously, evidently thrown by how unaffected Sirius appears after such a long sentence. Sirius smiles sardonically – making Fudge cower a little more – because, of course, he's not unaffected. The idiot Minister doesn't need to know that, though. "How fare things in the world without Dementors?"

"Quite well, with you and your fellow traitors locked up," retorts Fudge, trying to reassert dominance.

"Only happy headlines in the newspaper, then? Wonderful. Ah, and I see you're carrying the _Prophet_ ," Sirius says cheerfully. "Have you read it? If you have, pass it through the bars, will you? I quite miss doing the crossword. A quill would be lovely, too."

"Excuse me?" the Minister splutters.

"The crossword," Sirius repeats slowly, as though Fudge is a little dim-witted.

Fudge blusters a little more but ultimately hands over the day-old _Daily Prophet_ , unable to think of a reason to say no.

"But no quill for you," he says sternly, pleased to withhold this favour.

Sirius tilts his head and lazily salutes. He watches with deep satisfaction as Fudge leaves shaken, then turns to the newspaper.

The date printed across the top confirms Sirius' suspicions that he has been locked up here for nearly twelve years, but that is not what catches his attention. No, it's the photo of a large family laughing in front of Egyptian pyramids.

Some part of his brain registers that _goodness, the Weasley children have grown up_ , and _so Gideon had a niece he never knew_ , but most of his attention is fixed on a rat skittering over the youngest son's shoulder. A rat missing a toe. A rat he recognises.

He feels curiously numb as his mind makes the connection.

Peter Pettigrew, that traitorous creature, that despicable being whose Animagus should have been a dead giveaway – Peter is alive. Peter had caused Lily and James' deaths. He had killed twelve Muggles in an explosion. He had put Sirius in Azkaban. And _he is still alive_. Living a pampered life as a family pet. A traditionally Gryffindor family with children in Hogwarts –

Harry is in danger.

Peter has ruined enough lives. Including Harry's. But he will not take Harry's life. Not if Sirius can help it.

Peter put him here. Like Lando Calrissian – a friend turned traitor, the reason for Han's incarceration in carbonite. But much less stylish. (Would you look at that- a joke. How long it's been…)

Harry is in danger. And nobody will see the threat coming. _He needs to be protected, someone needs to help him, Peter stay away from my godson, Remus where are you-_

Who knows what has happened to Remus? Without Remus there to protect him, Harry is too vulnerable to Peter.

That's it.

Sirius Orion Black is breaking out.

* * *

Sirius stands at the shore in his Animagus form, roaring waves slapping his paws. The wind howls against his matted fur. If there was anyone to watch, they would see the pale light of the crescent moon peeking through clouds to highlight the emaciated black dog at the foot of Azkaban.

There is nobody watching.

He wonders if Han ever got out of carbonite. Lily said he would, and Lily was the smartest person he knew. If Han can get out of carbonite, Sirius can escape Azkaban.

 _Nobody has ever broken out of Azkaban,_ they say. _The Dementors, the water…the odds are too great._

 _Never tell me the odds,_ he thinks, and plunges into the cold water.


	3. The Force Is Strong In My Family

_He thinks, The Force is strong in my family._  
 _Or,_  
 _How an old bet is settled and a new generation is introduced to Star Wars._

* * *

A dreary afternoon in August saw Sirius and Remus sitting together in silence, Firewhiskey in both their hands. Remus, swirling his glass and staring at the contents, snorted suddenly. Sirius lazily looked over at him, gulping down his own Firewhiskey. "What?"

"You won the bet."

Sirius leaned back, propping his feet up on an ugly coffee table he'd always hated. "I won a lot of bets, Moony. Be specific. Which one do you mean? The McGonagall Bet of '73, when I knew what she was going to put on the exam, the _many_ bets on who was being asked to Hogsmeade, the Great Bet of '77, when I brilliantly predicted when Lily and James were getting married -"

"The Star Wars bet."

Sirius sat up so fast his back made a protesting noise and his Firewhiskey sloshed in his glass. "Luke and Leia are -?"

Remus nodded.

"No, Moony, that's a spoiler! Oh, I wish I could've watched it! How dare you, Moony? I thought we'd never spoil anything for each other, _I can't believe you would do this_ …."

The corner of Remus' mouth twitched. Before he could say anything, a head with messy black hair poked from around the door. "Is everything alright here? I heard shouting - Sirius, what happened?"

"Blasphemy, Harry, that's what has happened!" Sirius cried, slamming his glass onto the table and pointing at Remus, whose shoulders were shaking silently. Harry jumped back, startled at his godfather's outburst. " _Moony_ here thought that it would be a good idea to spoil the last Star Wars movie and -" He let out a wordless scream before collapsing onto the cushions, covering his face with his hands.

"Er, I don't -" Harry said, looking alarmed as he watched Sirius proceed to sit up and continue yelling at Remus, who had abandoned all pretenses of subtlety and was laughing loudly. "Are you talking about those space films?"

Sirius stopped shouting abruptly, and turned to stare at Harry with a gobsmacked expression on his face. Remus, too, stopped laughing, and simply stared at Harry. The teenager shifted uncomfortably as he took in their expressions. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You don't know what Star Wars is?" Sirius asked in a devastated voice. Remus just looked sad, all traces of merriment erased from his face.

"Well, isn't it a series about adventures in space?" Harry asked, confused. "I've never seen it, though. The Dursleys thought it was a 'bad influence', that I would 'get ideas' and never let me watch it."

The two Marauders exchanged looks that spoke volumes, while Harry got more uncomfortable. "Why do you know about Star Wars anyway? You're a pureblood, Sirius, and Star Wars is a Muggle movie."

"We loved those movies," Remus said softly. Harry stopped talking, eyes widening as he realised who 'we' was. He slowly walked over and sat down opposite the two, silently begging them to continue.

"Lily took us to watch it," Sirius continued, smiling softly at the memory. "We knew about movies, of course, but we never would've gone for this if it weren't for her. We couldn't get enough of the story, you know? Parts of it reminded us of our own war, and we saw ourselves in the heroes. All of us watched the second one together as well. Your mum and dad, the two of us, and -" He cut himself off, swallowing audibly.

"And Peter," Remus said, calmly. Sirius shot him a look. "No point pretending he wasn't there. He was our friend."

"He was a traitor."

"That was after." He raised a hand to stop Sirius' words. "I'm not saying that his betrayal was justified. I'm just saying that what he did during the war shouldn't erase the good years."

"I'll tell you what he did with what could've been good years-"

" _I know what he did_ , but-" a sigh. "Just, don't avoid his name. We can say 'Voldemort' but not 'Peter'?"

A tense silence. Sirius stared moodily into his glass, then sighed.

"You - you were saying my mum took you to watch Star Wars?" ventured Harry, desperate to know more and desperate to break the tension.

It worked. Both men relaxed into nostalgic smiles.

"Your mum was the best," Sirius said, a beam lighting up his face. "She was so excited when she told us she was going to take us to watch it, and both Lily and James were so excited to show these movies to _you_."

Harry face shone like a child's, as it always did when he was told something about his parents.

"Anyway, we wanted to watch the third one together as well, but it came out in '83."

Remus and Sirius both looked down, and Harry's smile dropped at the reminder of everything that had happened.

"If things had turned out differently, you would have been right with us. Like I told you, your parents always wanted to introduce you to Star Wars."

Harry looked at the floor, scuffing his sneaker on the grubby carpet. "I didn't know Mum and Dad liked it so much. If I had - I dunno, maybe I would've tried harder to watch it." He looked up at them. "Did Aunt Petunia know?"

"She may have. Lily… well, she tried hard to reconcile with Petunia. Maybe she thought mentioning something Muggle she liked would help."

"I bet that nasty old toad turned her nose up at that," Sirius muttered bitterly. "She must've been disgusted by the Force. Probably thought that of course the only film Lily talked about had magic in it. Decided not to show you anything her 'freak of a sister' liked."

That hadn't occurred to Remus, but Harry didn't look surprised. He nodded as if in understanding. It made Remus clench his fists. Then he remembered something and began to smile.

"Padfoot," he started, smiling at his old friend. Sirius' eyes narrowed. Harry didn't know that smile but Sirius most certainly did. It was the classic I-look-innocent-but-I'm-planning-something smile that Remus had perfected in third year, and it had fooled even the great Minerva McGonagall.

"Moony," Sirius returned cautiously. Harry glanced between them, eyebrows raised above the rims of his glasses.

"Have you ever been in the presence of a VCR?"

"Are you mad? They were bloody expensive, no I haven't -" Sirius stopped. "No."

"Yes."

"You -"

"It's been almost fifteen years, the price has gone down."

"And did you -"

"First things I bought."

"Moony!" Sirius laughed delightedly and picked up his discarded glass in a toast, then downed the entire glass.

"Hang on," Harry said hesitantly, glancing between the two adults. "What is this about VCRs?"

"Remus here is a genius," Sirius said, patting Harry on the shoulder, smiling from ear to ear.

"Not a genius, I just love Star Wars," Remus said, smirking over the lip of his glass.

"He has the VCRs of all three movies!" Sirius shouted, putting his glass down and almost tackling Remus in a hug. "I knew we taught you well!"

"You didn't _teach_ me, if anything, Lily was the one who-"

"But wait, does this mean..?" Harry interrupted as understanding and excitement slowly dawned on his face.

"It's time you were introduced to our legacy," Remus smiled.

And so Mr Moony and Prongs Jr. take Padfoot for a walk to Mr. Moony's house.

* * *

"Sirius, did I mention that George Lucas announced he's working on a new Star Wars movie?" Remus asks almost casually as he put in the VCR. Sirius, who is taking a drink of water ("I need to be sober for this momentous occasion!"), chokes.

"Are you…" he splutters, "trying...to kill me?" He waves off Harry, who is uncertainly pounding a fist on his back.

Remus widens his eyes innocently. "Oh, I wouldn't dare."

"Oh yeah, I think I heard that too!" Harry says, eager to add to the conversation. Sirius turns to Harry with a deeply betrayed look on his face, and Harry shrugs, as if to say _but I did hear it, and how was I supposed to know to tell you?_ (The minute Sirius looks away, though, Remus and Harry exchange a mischievous and triumphant grin.)

Sirius takes a deep gulp of air, turns pointedly away from Harry, then draws himself upright and points a steady finger at Remus. "You do not treat _important information about Star Wars_ with anywhere _near_ the level of casualness that you have been employing today."

"I'm sorry," Remus says, his tone contrite and his expression anything but. "But your reactions are always a thing of joy."

The only response he gets for this pathetic excuse for an apology is a muttered string of French, which completely goes over Harry's head but makes Remus grin like Harry hasn't ever seen.

"There is a _child_ here, Sirius, mind your language."

"Shut up, Moony, and start the bloody film." Sirius collapses onto Remus' threadbare couch with all the drama of his twenty-year-old-Han-Solo-grieved self and gestures Harry to come over.

Godfather and godson occupy the couch as Remus kneels in front of the old telly to start the film.

"My young Padawan," Sirius begins, addressing Harry, "you are about to experience magic unlike anything you've seen before."

"I dunno, Sirius," the boy deadpans, "I go to a magic school."

"You jest, child, but this is a different type of magic entirely." Sirius pauses dramatically. "The magic...of _cinema._ "

"You sound like Hermione."

"That's because he's using big words to be dramatic. Quite common. Especially about Star Wars."

"Moony!"

"But watching Star Wars for the first time is an experience, Harry. Just keep your mind open." Remus fiddles with some wires. "I hope you don't know any spoilers."

"I don't know anything about it," Harry assures him.

"Ah, it's about to start. Sirius, take a few deep breaths. We're starting him from A New Hope."

Sirius doesn't bother snarking back. He inhales deeply, and then clasps Harry's shoulder. "You will be pulled in from the beginning. From the first words on the screen. From the opening mu - OH IT'S STARTING!"

Remus settles into an armchair as blue words appear on the dark screen -

 _A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…_

Sirius and Remus delighted in watching the first two movies with their eyes focused on Harry. Having seen the movies themselves, they took joy in watching Harry's wonder rather than the scenes they'd already watched and known by heart. They laughed when the Millennium Falcon first arrived on the screen, cried when Obi-Wan died, and celebrated the movie with their only heir.

When Remus sits down after putting on the third one, Sirius' attention abruptly shifts. Side by side with Harry, he watches raptly as the music begins and the opening crawl scrolls up the screen.

It had broken Remus' heart to watch Return of the Jedi alone, but he did it - _three friends dead and one in prison, what use is it to wait?_ This is the first time he's watching it with people, with _Sirius_ and Harry, James-and-Lily-combined, and he wants to see how they react.

Sirius laughs out loud and turns a smug grin in Remus' direction, which he steadfastly ignores as Luke was revealed to be Leia's twin.

"Pay up, Moony," comes a soft whisper, barely audible over Harry's gasp, and is abruptly shushed by an enamoured Harry.

Godfather and godson cry together as Darth Vader defeats the Emperor, saving Luke and sacrificing his life in the process. Darth Vader is like no one they know, but this act too closely mirrors a personal tragedy, and Harry looks especially affected.

The lights of a celebratory bonfire on the telly screen flicker over their faces, illuminating tear tracks on Sirius' gaunt cheekbones, reflecting in Harry's James-like glasses and shining Lily-like eyes, and Remus' heart swells as he thinks, _the Force is strong in my family_.


	4. I Have A Bad Feeling About This

_Remus lived longer and more intrinsically with Star Wars; as such, it had a different effect on him than it did his friends._

 _Or, snapshots of Remus' life when a galaxy far far away wove through his thoughts._

* * *

Reflecting on the ending of Return of the Jedi, melancholy colouring his thoughts, Remus' heart was heavy with a burden he had become used to bearing, because the Empire was in shambles and the Death Star was destroyed, but the Alliance wasn't faring much better. Everyone that he cared about was dead or far beyond his reach.

The Empire might be gone, the Death Star might have been destroyed, but there could be no revelry on Endor if there was no one left to celebrate with.

* * *

Watching Harry sit up, Remus suddenly couldn't breathe, staring at the face of his brother and eyes of his sister, expressions that lived in his memory painted across a familiar face. He almost told Harry then, _it's me, Uncle Moony_. But Harry didn't need Uncle Moony; he needed Professor Lupin. So instead, he broke a chocolate bar into pieces and said, "Here. Eat it. It'll help."

(A thought faded before it formed, taking the vague shape of two men in a desert, but it vanished too fast for Remus to catch.)

* * *

Contemplating Sirius as he lay on the ground, panting, Remus wanted to punch himself. _Why had he ever wanted the old days back?_ They always involved hairbrained schemes that resulted in him wanting to bang his head off a wall. For a moment, he nearly lifted his wand and cursed Sirius into oblivion. He wanted to laugh, to cry, to jump for joy.

 _(This must have been what Obi-Wan thought when he saw Darth Vader after all those years, said a fleeting thought)_

Instead, he offered Sirius his hand and pulled him to his feet.

* * *

Wand moving at a speed almost too fast to handle, Remus struggled to keep his focus on the duel in front of him and on Harry and Neville, doing his best to both protect them and defeat Lucius Malfoy. The unexpected whip of a cloak startled him, and he turned around to see Dumbledore striding to the middle of the room. A balloon of relief swelled in his chest, and he was successful in overpowering Malfoy, who had become terrified and sloppy when Dumbledore entered.

He tried to ignore the feeling of doom that slowly crept up on him as he looked around the room to see if he could help immobilise any more Death Eaters. A quick spin revealed that the battle seemed to be on its last legs and it wouldn't be long before it was over. Just as the adrenaline began to leave his system, his blood froze and his brain began to scream _dangerdangerdanger_.

It was in slow motion that he heard Sirius' cackling and Bellatrix's shouted spell, the light of which seemed to fill the room, and he whirled around to see Sirius, suspended in the air, and then he was gone, vanished through the veil that surrounded them. The wind knocked out of his chest, feeling lightheaded, there was only one thought that flashed through his mind in startling clarity: _Harry_.

Before he could completely process the events that had taken place in front of him, he was sprinting towards Harry, intent only on getting him to safety. As he ran, just for a split second, the scene in front of him was replaced by a Sith swinging an arc of deadly light and a Jedi fading away, that same feeling of _runrunrun_ he remembered pumping through his veins in time with his heartbeat.

And then, slamming into Harry, Remus was abruptly catapulted into reality, where his remaining friend had fallen and he had to hold onto the last tangible reminder of times long past before he was lost as well. But despite the pain coursing through him and Harry's cries reverberating in his bones, his subconsious could not shake the set of similar phantom cries that blended with Harry's in his ears.

* * *

" _Noooo!_ " Remus howled upon seeing his wife's body sprawled on the floor at the hands of her aunt. Crawling towards her, he gathered her in his arms and began to sob, because there was yet another name on the long list of people he'd lost, and one of few that he would save at the cost of the world. Thoughts of his son and nephew were the only thing that grounded him as he fought to stop the flow of tears.

And yet, as he looked up and saw a bolt of green shooting towards him, he was filled only with a sense of calm, because he knew that his death would not be meaningless; his son, far away from the destruction that crumbled the castle of Hogwarts, of _home_ , would grow up _safe_ and _loved_ and would never know the pain of war.

So when he closed his eyes for the last time, picturing Teddy's smiling little face and ever-changing hair ( _so like his mother_ ), he understood what it was like to die for his son, pay with his own life if it meant that he'd be in a better world.

(he understood why Darth Vader would destroy everything if it meant that his son would be safe.)

* * *

Standing with the ghosts of his friends and looking at the boy ( _man_ ) who carried their legacy, Remus realised that they weren't destined for a celebration on Endor; the fight was never theirs to win. None of them were Luke Skywalker and never would be, because they were the Jedi of old, those who failed to stop the rise of the Empire. It was up to Luke, Han and Leia ( _Harry, Ron and Hermione_ ) to destroy it.

And if history is to be repeated, Remus mused, there would be a celebration and they would be present to witniss it, but only as spirits of the past, looking at a brighter future.


	5. I Am A Jedi, Like My Father Before Me

It occurs to him that Teddy is too young to watch the new Star Wars movie.

"He's barely a year old," he rues to Andromeda, who just nods. "That's too young, yeah? I do want to introduce it to him. But, you know, it can be..." he winces. "I mean there's a character who gets his hand cut off in one of the movies. And explosions. I dunno if he'll really get it but we should probably protect him from all that anyway."

Andromeda sets down her tea. "I haven't watched it myself, so I'm leaving it to you to decide, but yes, Teddy is too young to see violence."

Harry sighs. "Yeah, I thought so too." He looks at the stairs. Up those stairs, in a crib, lies the subject of their discussion, his little godson. (It's a bit surreal to be godfather to a baby at the age of nineteen, Harry thinks, but he reflects that his own parents were not much older when he was born.) "Well, there'll be time for him to see it. Judging by the time between the original movies, by the time the next one comes out he'll be four-"

"Harry."

"Right, no, maybe not." Harry grins and glances at his watch. "Oh, it's getting late, I'll be off. Thanks, Andromeda."

She nods, hugging him when he stands up. "You'll drop in again soon?"

"Sunday alright?"

"Teddy will be waiting." They exchange a smile.

* * *

Footsteps crunch on icy gravel. The teenager stops and kneels down in the melting snow to leave two flowers on the grave, side-by-side over the two coffins buried below. In the light of the setting sun, the marble shines red - like fire, or perhaps a certain young Muggleborn witch's hair. The boy's shadow falls squarely in the centre of the gravestone, right over the inscription.

 _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._

"Guess what, Mum?" Harry says softly. "I watched the new Star Wars today."

Somewhere in Godric's Hollow, an owl hoots.

"It was so different from the old ones," he continues. "It's about Anakin Skywalker- I know you don't like Vader, Dad, but this was about him as a kid. He was a slave, it's sad. There's some sort of prophecy, and an old Jedi decides that this nine-year-old enslaved on a desert planet is the Chosen One." He laughs. "That worked out brilliantly for them, didn't it? See, there's something ridiculous about claiming a child as the Chosen One. You know that. But I'm going off topic. Er. Let me see. Oh, there's a planet called Naboo which is ruled, for some reason, by a teenage queen. She seems ridiculously competent for a fourteen or fifteen year old. Then again, have you met Hermione? Well, you haven't, but you know what she's like. She's come to visit before, and of course I've told you loads about her. Anyway, about this queen - I grew up with Hermione, so actually, yes, I can believe that this Padme can rule a whole planet…"

He keeps talking, explaining the story, getting sidetracked, making snide comments that would make his parents proud, and laughing, as the sky grows dark and the streetlights come on. The gravestone stands unmoved, but it shimmers almost reassuringly, as if the lights are glinting off James Potter's glasses instead of his headstone.

"I wish I could've taken Teddy," he confesses suddenly. "When Sirius and Remus showed me the original trilogy, they were _so happy_ to share it with someone else, and I get it now. I wanted, so badly, to introduce Teddy. Not just because it's Star Wars, but… well, because it's _Star Wars_. His dad loved it, and he didn't get to know his dad, yeah? Like me. But worse, really, because he was so much younger when Remus and Tonks… I thought it'd be great for him to see it, you know, because it was something that means… _meant_ … a lot to Remus." He shrugs. "He's too young, though. Another time. When he's older." He pauses to think. "When he can understand."

He shakes his head as if to clear it. "Well. I should be getting home. Early start tomorrow. The Auror programme is great. One of the trainers said she knew you at school, Mum, that you tutored her. Said that she made an absolute _pile_ of Galleons when you two started going out, which- I don't know what to say about that. She cut herself off before saying more, which I find both relieving and alarming. What was she going to say? You know what, don't tell me. I'm sure you two had a… reputation." A smirk. "You're my parents though, so I don't think I want to know. Honestly, how do you manage to be embarrassing eighteen years beyond the grave? It's a miracle. But anyway, that's enough of that, I suppose. But I do have to leave now so..."

His exhale clouds in the air in front of him, and he takes off his glasses to clean them. Putting them back on, he looks at the gravestone again, and reaches out to trace his gloved fingertips over the icy inscription.

"See you later, Mum, Dad," he says quietly.

Then he stands and walks away, picking his way through the graves of the cemetery, through the gate, in among the houses and streetlights of Godric's Hollow, and out of sight.

* * *

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!"

Harry stands on the ground floor of the house, arms crossed, bellowing up the staircase.

"YOU WILL COME DOWNSTAIRS, AND YOU WILL COME DOWNSTAIRS NOW! STOP TAKING SO MUCH TIME ARRANGING YOUR HAIR, I should've known better than to name a child after two people who were vain about their hair, JAMES, WE ARE LATE FOR THE SHOW! IN SIXTEEN YEARS NOT ONCE HAVE I MISSED A STAR WARS PREMIERE, AND YOUNG MAN, I WILL NOT BE ENDING THAT STREAK TONIGHT, SO HELP ME-"

The eldest of the Potter children appears at the top of the stairs, hair mussed, younger sister in tow.

"Ease up, Dad, I'm-" he stops when another black-haired man appears next to the one at the bottom of the staircase. It's Harry. Next to Harry.

One Harry looks at the other. The newcomer raises an eyebrow.

"You got my nose wrong," he observes.

The other one gasps in outrage. "I most certainly did _not_!" he exclaims, aghast, and is met with just a knowing smile.

Grumbling, the first Harry morphs into a blue-haired, currently-sullen teenager. "It was dead on, Harry."

"Was it, though?"

"It _was_ , and you know it."

"Yeah, alright," the real Harry concedes cheerfully, and beckons his laughing children down. "And that's a bit worrisome, so I take my victories when I can. Now, come on, Teddy, we might actually be late. Ginny and Al are already in the car."

"I'm well aware, since _I_ was the one taking actionable steps to make your offspring-"

"What have you been reading?" James asks, snorting.

"The dictionary," Lily says knowingly.

"The dictionary," Teddy repeats, with an air of injured hauteur as James continues to snicker.

"Are you sure you're not supposed to be a Ravenclaw, Ted?"

"Excuse me, Hufflepuff has plenty of intelligent wizards, which is obvious to anyone who sees-"

"Lovely conversation, let's continue it later," Harry says, shepherding them out the door. "Time to go!"

It has been ten years since the last Star Wars installment. Andromeda had kept her foot firmly down ten years ago - _no, Harry, six is not an improvement, they will play the series in the cinema one day when he is older and you can take him then_ \- and so it is not just the Potter children's first Star Wars premiere but Teddy's as well.

The cinema hall is packed with people of nearly all ages, from going-grey adults who had seen the first film in 1977 to young children being introduced for the first time to the galaxy far, far away.

They shuffle through the aisles, picking their ways through occupied chairs towards their booked seats, balancing drinks and popcorn (" _You_ can buy salty popcorn, but I need sweet popcorn to balance out the salt of my tears," Harry had told Ginny with a completely straight face) and settling down with the too-loud whispers of an excited family.

The kids giggle through the ads at Ginny's sarcastically muttered commentary, devise an elaborate popcorn-sharing agreement during the trailers, and then erupt into thrilled whispers and shushing when it becomes apparent that the film is about to begin.

The famous words appear on screen, and Lily clutches at her dad's arm as the theme starts to play. Horrified exclamations echo around the theatre as words scroll up into the blackness of space, starting with - _Luke Skywalker has vanished._

("Leia will save the day," murmurs Ginny, and Harry thinks about the women he knows from a closer war, fighters like Minerva McGonagall and Molly Weasley, like Lily Potter and Nymphadora Tonks, like Hermione and Ginny and Luna and hundreds of others, and he whispers back, "She will.")

It's a rollercoaster ride. There are gasps when the Millennium Falcon appears on the screen, scattered laughter at jokes and droid antics, choked sobs when a red lightsaber ignites on a bridge ("Nothing good ever happens on a spaceship bridge in _Star Wars_ ," Teddy mutters later, and Harry can't help but agree), a muffled shout when a cloaked man on a clifftop throws back his hood. It's a loving homage, and a passing of the baton. Credits roll as an old hero falls and a new generation begins to rise.

The lights come on in the theatre, but they, and the sound of the audience shuffling out of the cinema, can't quite erase the glow of a beloved galaxy. Looking at his family chattering around him, Harry smiles. The children surrounding him will grow beyond their history, and make their own future. He is sure it will be a bright one.

* * *

 _BONUS:_  
 _The moment they reach home, the kids begin a betting pool about which of the new characters will end up together. Harry and Ginny pretend to disapprove, but barely an hour later, Teddy finds them sliding ten Galleons each over to a very smug Lily Luna, who's running the pool._  
 _Somewhere in the afterlife, the Marauders and Lily place their own bets, trash-talking each other as if it's 1977._  
 _Some things never change._

 _So, more than six months after we first conceived the idea (fittingly on May the Fourth), we're done writing it! Teamwork makes the dream work. We hope you liked reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Hit us up in the comments if you have any questions, and may the Force be with you!_


End file.
